May 29, 2024
Type 2 Diabetes management with GLP-1 medication and Dexcom CGM
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“I could easily see the results on my Dexcom app. I had lower numbers and fewer high alarms. The Dexcom CGM and a GLP-1 went hand in hand and were like a breath of fresh air for me.”
Brian Adcock watched his father, two brothers and a sister live with diabetes, giving him intimate familiarity with the treatment options, the challenges of proper daily health management and the consequences of uncontrolled diabetes.
Yet, the North Carolina native seemed to be the lucky one in his family. For more than 40 years, he was the outlier who didn’t have to worry about health issues. Unfortunately, his good health fortune would eventually run out.
“I asked a doctor years ago if he thought I’d get diabetes, and he said, ‘It’s not if you will, it’s when you will,’” Adcock said.
That doctor’s prognosis came true near the end of 2017, when the 52-year-old father of three came home from his job in security and emergency management services feeling exhausted, dizzy and slurring his words. His wife Diana rushed him to urgent care, where medical staff drew his blood and discovered his glucose was 313 mg/dL and his A1C was 13.7%.
An unsurprising diagnosis brings life changes
He followed up with his primary care physician and they developed a treatment plan to start his diabetes management. He began taking Metformin twice a day. He changed his diet and meal-planned with his wife’s help, commitment, and encouragement. He exercised more, enjoying yard work and other do-it-yourself projects around the house and garage. Meanwhile, he learned to loathe the painful fingersticks.
“I became a professional label reader at the store,” he joked. “But it was daunting, because I discovered there's very little someone with diabetes can partake in without the risk of raising the glucose. I talked to a nutritionist, and she showed me the appropriate portion sizing. You can eat just about anything, but it has to be in the proper portions and moderation.”
For about five years, he and his wife managed his Type 2 diabetes “pretty good,” Adcock said. But the twice-daily Metformin began to cause some unpleasant side effects, so the doctor switched him to extended-release Metformin. Adcock continued his diabetes journey with some successes—and some setbacks.
“You know, it is not easy eating meat and salads every meal, skipping the potatoes, the rice, the gravies and the dressings,” he said. “So, my A1C would fluctuate.”
Having watched family members with diabetes struggle with insulin injections, that was the one thing Adcock dreaded and wished to avoid. The daily finger pricks were already enough pain to deal with, he said. But he had to get control of his T2D. His nutritionist suggested he try a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system to get a better understating of his body and how it reacts to different foods. He agreed and was sold on the technology after a 10-day trial.
Dexcom CGM removes the guesswork from diabetes management
Adcock has now been a Dexcom CGM user for nearly two years.
“It has taken the guesswork out of eating,” he said. “I know my body better now than I ever have, as far as my glucose and my patterns, thanks to the Dexcom CGM. I went from three finger pricks a day to very seldom having to prick my finger—maybe once a week—and then there are weeks I don't prick at all!"
“Diana keeps check on me everywhere I go,” Adcock said. “There are days where she'll call me and say, ‘Hey, don't you think it's about time to eat?’ I have the Dexcom CGM paired to my Garmin watch, and I'll look and see it's time for me to grab something. And I like the accuracy and no more fingersticks,* hands down.”
*Fingersticks required for diabetes treatment decisions if symptoms or expectations do not match readings.
Pairing Dexcom CGM with a GLP-1
At a doctor’s appointment in 2023, he asked about trying a GLP-1 medication, which his sister had some recent success using. The doctor agreed, and he added the medication to his treatment plan, which also includes the extended-release Metformin, healthy diet and exercise, and his Dexcom CGM.
Brian monitored his glucose levels using Dexcom CGM while adjusting to the new drug, which made him feel less hungry overall.
“My numbers were lower for longer periods of time,” Brian said. “I learned to eat more protein at breakfast due to experiencing lows later in the morning. Once my wife and I tweaked this, my numbers were very consistent. I also tweaked my dinner so I would not go low late at night.”
The ability to track his glucose numbers in real-time on his Dexcom CGM helped him understand the impact of the GLP-1 and how to find the right balance in his diabetes management.
“I could easily see the results on my Dexcom app,” he said. “I had lower numbers and fewer high alarms. The Dexcom CGM and GLP-1 went hand in hand and were like a breath of fresh air for me. It was so encouraging to see that I was managing my diabetes successfully, and I was not feeling like I was giving up a lot of things I enjoyed eating.”
Today, he remains active and successful in his diabetes journey. In late December 2023, his A1C was down to 5.8%.‡
“I feel very good physically, and it's a great sense of accomplishment that I'm succeeding and I am achieving my goals with every A1C check,” he said. “Because it's not just a lower A1C. My blood pressure has come down, and I've lost 20 pounds! I’ve noticed I have more stamina.”
Adcock credits his triumvirate of medication, lifestyle and Dexcom CGM for no longer having to worry about outrunning T2D.
“These things are synergistic, and they complement and enhance each other from one success to another success,” he said. “I now feel like age is just a number. I'm more concerned with my metabolic numbers than my chronological age. However, I know my diabetes is controlled and not cured. It is a daily lifestyle choice, and I continue to do well with the help of Dexcom CGM and GLP-1.”
